When a Syracuse woman lost her home, she began sleeping next to the grave of her husband. Her situation went unnoticed until cemetery staff alerted police, and a local officer’s compassion set off a chain of help from a college, neighbors and a nonprofit.
How a planned move turned into living in a cemetery
Rhea Holmes and her husband had been planning to buy a modest house in 2020. After he died suddenly from a heart issue, Rhea used the money meant for the house to buy him a burial plot at Oakwood Cemetery. Grief led to depression, then job loss and eviction.
Rather than tell friends or family, Rhea kept her struggles private. She slept by the gravesite of the man she’d shared 26 years with. In her own words, she feared the cemetery might be where she would die.
Officer intervention: one call changed everything
Cemetery workers noticed a woman living on the grounds and notified police. Officer James Pastorello learned the woman they were talking about was someone he had recently given a ride to.
Pastorello was alarmed by the cold conditions and Rhea’s situation. He took immediate steps to help.
- He paid for a hotel room to get her out of the elements.
- He began contacting people in his network for longer-term help.
- He created a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for permanent housing.
Le Moyne College opens a door
A friend of the officer connected him to Le Moyne College president Linda LeMura. The college offered temporary housing in an unused campus residence during winter break so Rhea would have a warm place to stay.
LeMura said helping was immediate and aligned with the institution’s mission to serve the community. The college viewed sheltering Rhea as an urgent, values-driven response.
From outreach to a tiny home: the path to stability
Word of Rhea’s situation spread. A nonprofit called A Tiny Home for Good, founded by a Le Moyne alum, reached out with options for placement.
On Jan. 5, Rhea moved into a one-bedroom, roughly 300-square-foot house. The small home allowed her to shift from surviving day-to-day to planning ahead.
Step-by-step: how help unfolded
- Rhea loses her husband and later her home.
- Cemetery staff report a person sleeping on-site.
- Officer Pastorello provides immediate shelter and starts a fundraiser.
- Le Moyne College offers temporary housing during winter break.
- A Tiny Home for Good provides a permanent tiny house placement.
Voices on the change: gratitude and a reminder
Rhea described Officer Pastorello as her “angel.” She said the new tiny home feels like a real new beginning and gives her space to breathe again. “All it took was one person stopping to care,” she said, noting how easy it is for people to feel invisible.
The story has highlighted how a single compassionate act by a local officer can mobilize institutions, neighbors and nonprofits to turn desperate circumstances into hope.
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